NCB arrests two traffickers, seizes 7.3 kg heroin near India-Myanmar border

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has intercepted a major drug consignment originating from Haichin city in Myanmar and arrested two traffickers with 7.31 kg of heroin valued at around Rs 15 crore, an official said on Thursday.

The heroin was concealed inside 638 soap cases when the traffickers attempted to smuggle the contraband into India, the official said in a statement.

The operation was part of the NCB’s intensified crackdown on cross-border drug trafficking emanating from Myanmar. The agency said it has significantly enhanced surveillance and enforcement along vulnerable routes in the North Eastern Region.

According to the NCB, sustained vigilance and tighter enforcement along traditional trafficking routes have forced drug syndicates to abandon conventional corridors and increasingly rely on dense forest tracks and riverine routes to evade detection. This evolving modus operandi, the agency said, has been observed consistently across the region.

Highlighting this trend, the NCB said its Guwahati Zonal Unit had last month intercepted and seized approximately 7 kg of heroin at Jiribam, indicating shifting trafficking patterns and underscoring the impact of enhanced inter-zonal coordination and intelligence-led operations.

Against this backdrop, and acting on specific intelligence developed over an extended period, the NCB Imphal Zonal Unit mounted a swift operation and dismantled an international drug trafficking module operating from Myanmar into Manipur.

On January 7, NCB Imphal intercepted a Bolero vehicle near the Indo-Myanmar border and apprehended two individuals identified as Ginkhawmlian, a resident of Mata, Multam, Churachandpur district, Manipur, and Mangboi Simte, also a resident of Mata, Multam, Churachandpur district, Manipur.

A detailed search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 7.312 kg of high-grade heroin concealed inside 638 soap cases, the NCB said.

Preliminary investigation indicated that the seized narcotics originated from Haichin in Myanmar and were trafficked through forest corridors in Manipur to bypass urban surveillance systems, police checkpoints and security camps.

The agency said further investigation is underway to identify the wider network involved in the trafficking operation. Both arrested persons will be produced before the competent court along with the seized narcotics for further legal proceedings under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.